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W E L C O M EI was raised in a tiny but mighty, northern Minnesota town where I got to witness the northern lights dance across the sky. In this cold setting, even at a young age, my curiosity for human connections, interactions, and choices grew. Already being acclimated to cold weather, I was off to Fargo (yes, like the movie), earning a degree in psychology before moving to Minneapolis, MN for graduate school.
It was at Vertical Endeavors in St. Paul, MN that I fell in love with rock climbing. I crave being outside (and warm). Camping, rock climbing, hiking, biking, wake-boarding... I love it all. This passion to breathe in the outdoors led me to Austin. It was Austin's warmth that drew me in and its weirdness that made me feel at home.
One of my proudest experiences in life was traveling solo to Bali, Indonesia where I spent the next month and a half trying new adventures with an open heart. I learned that living and loving can be expressed in different forms, so whatever life throws at us, we can adapt and thrive.
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"I became a therapist because I believe it is never too late to start living the life you want to live. It takes rare courage... and is worth it."
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THERAPEUTIC
STYLE |
SPACE: I want to hear everything you want to share, and I can hold space for what comes to light. What does, "holding space" mean? It means there is emotional "space" between the Client and Therapist. This means I will not project my story, my pains, or my wishes onto you. It means that I welcome emotions, I do not smother them. If parts of you have been stored away, punished away, or frightened away, they will need this space to come out and start feeling again. If the emotion has trauma attached (shame or fear), I will remain mindful, present, and regulated, and we'll walk through it together. I believe in you and your strength.
CONTAINER: I am both personally and professionally boundaried. This provides a 'safety container' by showing you how much space you can take up so that you feel safe, I feel safe, and the relationship feels safe. A combination of space + container creates an environment for you to look at yourself, the situation, and your future with more curiosity. Curiosity creates openness; an opportunity for change. CURIOSITY: I want the best for you, and my job is to help you determine what that is. Curiosity is an aid in both assessing and processing. While certain pains and traumas do have common themes; you and your story is unique and will be treated as such. SECURITY: We don't get stronger by going to the gym and talking about the weights, do we? Nor do we get stronger (build resiliency & release stored pain), by purely analyzing or dissecting behaviors. Psychoeducation helps with clarity and understanding while providing useful tools and skills, but it doesn't get to the exhale of it all... the healing. This is done through feeling, experiencing, and trying. There's the type of physical trainer that wants to purely explain how lifting weights works, the type that lifts the weights for you, the type that zones out while you're lifting alone, the type that expects YOU to train THEM… and then there's the type that will be beside you for back up, appropriately leading and challenging you, encouraging you, and celebrating your growth. This is the type of therapist I am; I'll be actively engaged with you in your process. Things to know:
CONGRUENCY: If the trauma wasn't cute going in, I don't expect it to be cute coming out. I do not require you to sit calmly in front of me, emotionally present, stoic, fully aware, perfectly processing, or altruistic about what's going on. I'm here to help you. EMPATHY: To me, empathy is more than emotional connection; it is about seeing life right side up. Without empathy, a counselor may confuse symptoms as the problem (form of gaslighting). Whereas, I welcome and praise symptoms for showing up because they are a sign that something is off. I explain it to my Clients like this: If you go to the doctor with a headache, the doctor may say it's a migraine (problem), prescribe medicine (treatment), and the pain temporarily relieves (temporary cure). I see the headache as a signal. With curiosity (assessment), we might find that you're dehydrated (actual problem), causing a headache (symptom) and need water (treatment) which relieves the pain (cure). Just the same, emotional discomforts of all kinds are signals. If we soothe away an important signal, we might miss vital treatment. I think of skills work as the 'medicine' in this analogy, providing a bit of respite while we work on deeper rooted issues (the actual problem). You will gain understanding of and empowerment over your signals, creating wholeness of self. Example: If you're experiencing high anxiety, it obviously doesn't feel good. So, I will offer tips, tricks, tools, and skills to soothe, regulate, and ground you. Additionally, we'll focus on where this anxiety is coming from and what it is signaling. We'll address that signal, and work on what is needed at a more foundational level for the anxiety to decrease overall rather than be simply soothed. GRATITUDE: I believe gratitude is a key aspect to life satisfaction and fulfillment. That being said, I do not believe in or engage in toxic positivity. Gratitude and toxic positivity are completely different concepts. For one to feel gratitude, one needs to see the truth (which might be dark). I will not rob you of experiencing gratitude by forcing positivity into the space. COMFORT: Those close to me describe me as a good listener, warm, consistent, compassionate, and that I have the ability to be direct without shaming or blaming. This direct yet tender honesty is how I earn and build trust. |
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THEORETICAL
APPROACH |
My training is systems-based; I view you as a part of a whole system. I seek the truth; then, you decide what to do with that truth with my steadfast support. I understand the vital importance of relationships, including the relationship between therapist and client in the healing process. I focus on ensuring you have a healthy, present, secure therapist in front of you so you can freely 'let go.'
My treatment approach is integrative, meaning, I draw on theories and interventions from different schools of thought in order to most effectively address your concerns. I naturally operate from Attachment, Inner-Child, and Trauma-Focused modalities. We all learn how to relate to others and ourselves in our upbringing; we will use this information to discover how you now want to relate to others and yourself. I have significant experience in treating trauma; you will not be criticized or abandoned. I want to learn more about you and how your life experiences and memories shaped who you are today so you can walk towards who you want to be, and how you want to feel, tomorrow. |
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QUALIFICATIONS
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S C H O O L
I received a B.A. degree in Psychology from Minnesota State University Moorhead. I went on to graduate with a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. My thesis, "Familial Play Therapy," explained the concept of utilizing parents as the therapeutic change agents through strategic play therapy, both directional and non-directional. This encourages consistency of growth between sessions and smoothes the transition from therapy towards complete agency at home. I concluded my practicum by working with an organization that provides in-home therapy to families. E X P E R I E N C E I have been practicing therapy for more than 15 years. It is recommended that clinicians gain experience in various settings with various populations before starting a private practice; I took this advice seriously and worked in the following positions prior to opening this practice in 2016:
L I C E N S E I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Texas regulated by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists. License # 202605. |